Clutch assembling tool



Jan. l, 1935. H A;NE1 soN 1,986,156

CLUTCH ASSEMBLING TOOL Filed Nov. 17, 1952 Patented Jan. 1, 1935 y 1,986,156

t j1,986,156 u A A CLUTCH AssEMLINGVTooL Haro'ld Allan Nelson, l (vlal/garry,Ljill)erta,- Canada ,g

This invention relates to clutch assembling within theslots 15 with theirouter surfaces flush toolsl and an object of theinventionris'to provide with the nose 12, when not yoperated to outwardly a tool which may be operated tovfacilitatethe project. 1 work in assembling clutch mechanism by hold- The ngers 16'are formed with a sloped or bev- 5 ing the clutch plate -in position while other parts elled surface 17 adjacent to and tovone side of the 5 are being assembled. i pivotal point, the other end of the finger having A further object of .the invention isV to'provide a leaf spring 18, rigidly secured thereto and proa very simple tool of lthis character which may jectingV beyond the end of the finger, as at 19. be inserted and withdrawnfrom the clutch mech- Within the borell of the shaft 10, is mounted l aniSIn Very easily. i 1 j an operating'rod' or member 2O which is screw 10 Y A still further object of the-invention is to ypro-y threaded as .at 2 1, to engage with screw thread-r vide a tool which maybe employed in ,the -aS- ingwithin the bore 11, to axiallyv urge the rod Sembly 0f all -typeSof-single discclutches@ u forward or backward upon rotating the rod'in With these and other objects in View thein-V one" direction or another.:k The rod `:is provided l Vention Consists essentially 0fv a i001 having with a knurled hand grip 22 at one end for facili- 15 clamping means to secure it in theclutch pilot tating" rotation of the rod. At the Iother end it is bearing and a movable securingmember deformed witha coned surface 23 which is adapted signed to engage the clutch disc, with means for to lie adjacent to the bevelled surfaces 1'7 of the operating the clamping means and means, for clamping fingersV 16, sothat, when the rod is 20 urging the securing member into vengagement rotated in one direction to urge it forward rin an 20 with the clutch anddisc, asmore fully described axial direction through the shaft 10, the coned in the fOllOWing SpeCilCaGiQn and illustrated in end 23 will move against the bevelled edges 17 of the aCCOInDanying drawing WhiCh fOrInS part of the 'fingers 16 and consequently turn the fingers the same. Y i about their pivotal points to swing'the free'v ends 25 In the draWingy 'A thereof, outwardly, to engage the inner surface 25 Figure 1 isa sectional side elevation of a clutch of the pilot bushing 14, this positiony being illusassembly Showing the OOljin InOnn'beClklDOSiiiiOn trated in dotted lines in Figure 2.' The projecting within the pilot bearing and holding the clutch end 19 of the springs 18 will, however, overlie the diSC in its normal position. v n end of the slots 15,' as illustrated in Figure 2 and Figure 2 is a sectional sidev elevation taken consequently when the rod 10 is urged axially 30 through the tool. Y forward the ngers A16 are moved outwardly Figure 3 iS an enlarged'SeCtiOn taken 0n the against the action ofthe leaf springs 18 so that line 3,-3 of Figure `2, and Y when the. rod` is movedvaxially backward and the l Figure 4` iSA a detail Of One Of the Clamping nconed'end 23 moves away from engagement with gers and aSSOCatedleaf Springso the bevellededges 17, the springs 18 will return 35 Referring more pariiCnlarly GO the draWing,'A the fingers 'to their normal position and out of indicates the ny wheel assernblyzofr a motor car engagement with the vpilot bushing Y14. The with which is associatedthe clutch mechanism ingers,` of course, in` View of the Construction, including the clutch disc B and clutch pressure move-to the same degree so that the tool is cen- 40 plate C. The tOOl D is designed'for holding the tred in thepilot bushing when the fingers engage 4o clutch disc B in its normal position in reassemtherewith. It is therefore apparent that the rod hliner the Clutch meChaniSIn- The iQol iSiDre- 20 Yconstitutes means for operating theclamping erably in the form of a shaft 10, or sleeve, which ngers into nrm engagement with the pilot bushis provided with a centrallbore 11 the shaft or ing'or sleevemember tocentre and hold the tool sleeve being reduced at one end to form a'projecttherein and, the springs 18, constitute meansfor 45 ing nose 12. The nose is adapted to be inserted returning these ngers to normal position upon within the clutch pilot bearing 13, as illustrated the Afir" stc'iperation 'of the rod 20. in Figure 1 and to directly engage with the pilot Slidably InOlln'ed llpOn*` the Shaft 10 iS the bushing 14 of this bearing, as illustrated in Figure Clutch diSC Securing 0r Clamping member 24 2, T0 this end the nose 12 is formed with a, pluwhich is formed with a conical outer surface 25 50 rality of slots 15 within which are pivoted clampadapted to engage with the hub 26 ofthe clutch ing ngers 16, movable about their pivot-,s to prodisc. The slidable member 24 is normally urged ject outwardly from the nose, as illustrated in to the forward end of the shaft 10 by means of a dotted lines in Figure 2, to engage with the pilot coil spring 27 which is wound around .the shaft bushing and centre the tool therein, or, to lie 10 and anchored at one end to the shaft by means 55 In operation, ,assuming the clutch vmechanism y to be removedfrom the fly wheel assembly, the

nose 12 of the tool is inserted within the pilot;

bushing of the clutch pilot bearing and the rod 20 is rotated so that it is axially urged` forwardlyY within the shaft 10. Uponitsconicalend 23. contacting with the bevelled edgesof the fingers u 16, these fingers'are swung abouttheir pivotall points so that their free ends iirmly"engage` thev inner surface of the pilot bushing and thus ,centre-g and rigidly secure the tool within this bushing inwae positionA illustrated inFigure' 1... Prior to theY mountingiof the` tool1 in the-pilotfbushing the slidable member 24 has been moved towardsthe rear of 'the shafts and-theV clutclidisc` has been slid 'onto the" shaft 10,.sov that upon releasing the slidable member 24; the coil spring127 urges it forwardly-.to` firmly engage theI hub of the clutch discnandthis properly centres it'with respect to the fly wheel' assembly in its normal position.

l The clutch pressure disc is thenrnounted in its proper positionand bolted on the fly wheel assemblyl by means of bolts 30 and'when this has been bolted: in: position it engages'with the clutch disc andserves to hold it in its normal position. The rod 20 of. the tool is then rotated sowas t'ofmove it axially backward so that the coned end23 is removed 'from engagement with the b'evelled edges 17 of the fingers 16 and through the medium of the springs 18 these fingers are` returned to I normal position within the slots 15, thus disengaging the tool from the pilot bushing, whereupon it is` removed.` The drive shaft of the car can then bemounted in its proper position withits end inserted: within the pilot bearing. v

It is apparent therefore, thatk through ythe medium of this tool, a great'deal of trouble and time is avoided in. assembling clutchk mechanism through the'fact that the clutch disc is first held in its normal position and it is not necessary to work with. a loose clutch disc and: endeavour to get it centredv properly' andV at thesame Vtime mount the clutch pressure plate. The` slidable member 24 might also be operated axially on the shaft by means of screw threading to axially move and. tightlyengage the coned surface with the clutch.` It isl preferable, however, that this memberbe'constructed to slide on the shaft under spring pressure. It may be particularlynoted that the slidable member 24 is of considerable size and that the conev surface will therefore serve to engage with. the hub of clutch plates regardlessof the fact as to whether or not they vary in size. It will be understood, therefore, that the tool may be used forv all makes of clutch assembly employing a singledisc.

Various modifications may be made in this-invention without departing from the spirit `thereof or the scope of the claims, and therefore the exact forms shown are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense, and it is desired that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are disclosed in the prior art or are set forth in the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:- Y

1. A clutch assembling tool comprising a shaft, clampingemeansfon said shaft operatingfto centre and secure said shaft in'a sleevel like member and means axially movable on said shaft for yieldably engaging a-clutch disc through which said shaft extends.

2. A device 'as claimed in claim 1 in which the -means on said shaft `for engaging an object comprises a cone shaped member movable axially on the shaftfand a spring against the tension of whi'clrsaidA member is designed to yieldably engagefth'e object to be assembled.

3. A clutch assembling tool comprising a shaft, clamping` means on saidl shaft operable to centre andsecurethel'shaft-in a sleeve like member and 'a slidable member on'saiicl shaft for yieldably engaging a clut'chi disc through which the shaft extends, and means f'or 4engaging said member with the clutch disc.

4. A deviceas claimed in claim 3 in which the slidable member is normally urged towards one endl of the shaft bymeans of 'a spring.

5. A clutch assembling tool comprising a hollow shaft', afplurality of pivotally mounted swingable fingers-carried' in one endvofr the shaft, an axially movable rodfcarried within said shaft', to engage and disen'gage-withsaid fingers to operate them into engagementor releasethem from the clutch pilot bushing, means in" connection with said fingers 4for returning them to normal position when said rodfhas beenl disengaged from them and a' spring lpressed slidable member carried by said shaft formed with a conical surface adapted to engage with the clutch disc 'tov centre and retain the-clutch disc'in normalposition relative to said bushing Aduring theV assembling operation.

6. A clutch assembling tool comprising a shaft, means on said, shaft for centring the latter in the clutch' pilot bushing, an axially movable cone on said shaft for/engaging and centring the clutch disc relative to said bushing, and means for yieldably engaging said. cone with said disc under pressure.

7.. A clutch. assembling tool comprising a shaft, a plurality of swingable fingers pivotally mounted .in one end of said shaft and adapted to protrude' outwardly therefrom through slots. therein, means in connection` with the shaft for operating said'iingers to secure the` shaft in a sleeve like member, each of said-fingers being provided with a leaf spring adapted to engage with a part of the shaft, said leaf springs being adapted to returrntheA fingers to normal position, an axially movable member havingla. conicalV surface mount--r ed on saidshaftfor engaging aclutch disc through which saidvshaft extends` and spring means for yieldablygengagingi said member with the disc.

HAROLD JALLAN NELSON. 

